Greek Economy, Society, and Cultural Life (245-255)
Fruits of Trade: Greek Economy Society
1. Trade and the integration of the Mediterranean Basin
a. Greeks traded olive oil and wine over the Mediterranean Sea for grains SP
b. Greeks traded with people from Egypt, Sicily, Russia, Spain, Macedon and Anatolia SP -Items traded were timber, tin, grain, fish,and slaves. LU
c. Some cities such as Athens and Corinth relied on Commerce rather than Agriculture SP
d. Panhellenic festivals brought Greek cities and their colonies together SP
-many festivals included athletic, literary, or music contests BS
e. One Panhellenic festival was the Olympic games that started in 776 B.C.E. SP
-Greek communities from all parts of the Mediterranean sent contestants to participate in the events BS
-First games included Foot races, wrestling, boxing, javelin and discus. LU LU 2. Family and Society
a. Males were the head of families:
-they could make decisions such as abandoning their newborn child (could not kill legally) SP
- They could abandon children on roads or mountains, weather exposure was enough to kill newborns.LU
b. Women stay at home and were under their husband's authority and had to wear veils when in public SP
-women often wore veils BS
c. Except the women of Sparta:
-they were allowed to participate in athletic events and armies
-although males still made decisions SP
d. Most upper class women were literate:
-such as Sappho who was a widow from an aristocratic family who was a poet SP
- She was accused of homosexuality for teaching young women to be literate and to appreciate music.LU
e. Rural families women did domestic duties SP
f. In artisan families women could participate in business SP
g. Slavery was an important part of the Greek's labor force:
-slaves were people in excessive debt or captured enemy soldiers SP
-large number came from whom the Greeks traded BS
-If slaves aquired wealth they could buy their freedom. In one case a slace was able to buy a bank and outfit 5 ships out of his own pocket.LU
h. Skilled slaves were considered more valuable
- some owners gave their skilled slave a shop to make profits and allow them to keep a portion of the money SP
The Cultural Life of Classical Greece
1. Rational Thought and Philosophy
a. Socrates was an Athenian pivotal figure in the development of Philosophy SP
b. Socrates implies that humans had an abligation to strive for personal integrity, behave honorably toward others and work toward the construction of a just society SP
c. Socrates was condemned to death by a jury of Athenian citizens who believed he passed the bounds of propriety SP
d. One of Socrates disciples was Plato who elaborated a systematic philosophy in great subtlety SP
e. Plato's disciple was Aristotle SP
f. Plato had a theory of Forms or Ideas SP
g. Plato developed his belief that the world in which we live in was not the only world, was not the only world of genuine reality, but only an imperfect reflection of the world of Forms and Ideas. MW
h. Only by entering the world of forms and Ideas was it possible to understand the true nature of virtue MW
i. Platos thoughts had important political and social implications in his dialogue "The Republic" MW
j. Plato thought that philosophers were in the best position to understand reality, and hence to design policies in accordance with the Form or Idea MW
k. After the generation of plato Aristotle also made a philosophy that was similar to Platos work in its long term influence. MW
l. He began to distrust the theory of forms and Ideas because artificial intellectual contrusts unnecessary for understanding the world. MW
m. Aristotle believed that philosophers could rely on their senses to provide accurate information about the world and then depend on reason to sort out its mysteries. MW
n. Aristotle wrote on biology, physics, astronomy, psychology, politics, ethics, and literature
o. Medieval Europe called him "Masters of those who knew" MW
p. Greece became the standard for educational understanding and philosophy. LU
2. Popular Religion and Greeks Drama
a. Because of lack of education the greeks turned to traditions of popular culture and popular religion that shed light on human nature and offered guidance for human nature MW
b. The greeks attributed the elements to have super natural elements so there would be for sun, wind, water, etc. MW
c. The greeks made up stories that of these god like elements and how the god like elements put the earth in its present state. MW
d. In the beginning they believed there was the formless void of chaos out of which emerged the earth, the mother and creator of all things. MW
e. struggles between the deities led to heavenly battles, where Zeus was became ruler of the sky BS
f. Under Zeus he had other gods doing jobs under him BS
g. Greek myths wanted to explain the reason of the world like many others BS
k. Greek myths were the foundations for religious cults BS
-some cults admitted only women BS
-cults provided opportunity for them to play roles in society BS
l.cult of demeter (goddess of grain) BS
-occurred in October and November before planting of grain and women would take part in a celebratory feast BS
m. Cult of Dionysus (God of wine) BS
- in spring devotees retreated to the hills to celebrate Dionysus with song and dance BS
n. Tragic drama BS
- Dionysus's cult would put on plays celebration BS
-only few of these plays survive BS
-shows that Greeks engaged audiences on the reflection of complicated themes BS
-three popular ones known: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides BS
3. Hellenistic Philosophy and Religion
a. as Hellenistic empires took over, people leaned more to Hellenistic philosophers (religions based on the good of an individual in a large world) VK
b. Hellenistic philosophers include Epicureans, skeptics and stolics.LU
-Epicureans identified pleasure as the greatest good, a state of quiet satisfaction that would shield them from pressures of the outside world VK
-Skeptics refused to take strong postitions on moral, political, and social issues (left issues to othes and were not involved in disputes) VK
-Skeptics doubted possibility of certain knowledge VK
-Stolics addressed individual needs by searching for personal tranquility and serenity. They considered everyone a part of the univeral family.LU
-Stolics were the most respected and influential of the Hellenistic philosophers VK
c. Religions of Salvation
-addressed interests of individuals looking for security in the world VK
-mystery religions promised eternal bliss for people who lived in accordance with their doctrine VK
-Egyptian cult of Osiris became popular because it promised salvation for people who led honorable lives VK
-mystery religons involved worship of a savior whose death and resurrection would lead way to eternal salvation for its followers VK
-some philosophers believed that a single, universal god ruled the entire universe and had a plan for humankind VK
Time Line- LU
2200-1100 BCE Minoan society
1600-1100 BCE Mycenaen society
800-339 BCE Era of the classical Greek polis
around 600 BCE Life of Sappho
500-479BCE Persian wars
490 BCE Darius invasion of Greece
490 BCE Battle of Marathon
480 BCE Xerxes invasion of Greece
480 BCE Battle of Salamis
479 BCE Battle of Plataea
470-399 BCE Life of Socrates
223-429 BCE Pericles leadership in Athens
431-404 BCE Peloponnesian war
430-347 BCE Life of Plato
384-322 BCE Life of Aristotle
359-336 BCE Reign of Philip II of Macedon
336-323 BCE Reign of Alexander of Macedon
YELLOW BOX
- After Socrates had been convicted and condemned to death, he reflected about death and his commitment to virtue rather than wealth or fame.EN - Death is one of two things: you cease to be without any sensation, or the migration of the soul to another place.EN - If death is the total absence of all sensation, then it is a wonderful gain as eternity would be nothing more than a single night.EN - If death is a journey to another place, there would be no good greater than that. EN - It would be infinite happiness to converse with, examine, and live with the judges. You would also be happier as you are immortal. EN - No evil could happen to a good man, either in life or after death.EN - Hardly angry with his accusers because they were releasing him from trouble, even though they condemned him with the mindset that they would do him injury.EN - Only God knows whether life or death is better. EN - Wants his sons to be punished if they seem to care for anything but virtue for not caring for what they should be caring for and for thinking they are great when they are actually worthless.EN
5 Themes- VK
1. Interaction between humans and environment -mountainous terrain and rocky soil only allowed for small harvests of grain -constructed roads -traveled by water -had merchants ships capable of carrying 400 tons and sometimes 1,000 tons -Greeks had many colonies along shorelines
2. Developement and interaction of cultures -learned astonomy, science, math, medicine, magic, and divinaton from Babylonians and Egyptians -adopted Phoenician alphabet- added symbols for vowels -system of philosophy based on human reason -Socrates; pivotal figure in developement of philosophy -Plato; Socrates disciple- Forms or Ideas -Aristotle; Plato's disciple- did not believe in Forms or Ideas but believed senses could provide info about the world -Greek Gods and myths -Myths helped to explain the world and were foundations for religious cults (Eleusinian mysteries, Demeter, Dionysus) -from the cult of Dionysus emergered Greek dramatic literature (plays) -Hellenistic philosophers; Epicureans(identified pleasure as greatest good), Skeptics(did not take strong positions on political, moral, or social issues), and Stoics(considered all human beings members of a single, universal family)
3. State-building, expansion and conflict -Greeks did not build a central government -Alexander governed many empires - Hellenistic empires seized the political initaitve and took it from the poleis- with this Greek philosophy and religion started to dwindle
4. Creation, expansion and interaction of economic systems
-traded mostly over seas
-traded gems, jewelry, perfume, and aromatic oils by horse or donkey -traded olive oil and wine throughout Mediterranean for supplies of grain, salted fish, timber, pitch, tin, and slaves -trade helped shape the economy; helped establish businesses and partnerships between shipowners, merchants, and money lenders -trade linked Greek cities with Greek colonies to from a larger Greek community -slaves did most of the labor in communities -strong unskilled slaves did heavy labor, weaker unskilled slaves were domestic servants or caretakers, and skilled slaves often had shops that belonged to their owners and were allowed to keep some of the profit
5. Developement and transformation of social cultures
-establishment of poleis helped nature of families and society come into a clearer focus
-strict patriarchal family structures; males were head of the household, women were under the authority of fathers, husbands, or sons, upper-class women spend most of the time in family homes and wore veils when going outside, women could not own land but could operate small businesses(could be a priestess of a religious cult)
- Sparta women could participate in athletic contests and be in public alone
-literacy was common among upper-class women
-rural areas; men did outside work and women did domestic chores and wove textiles
-artisan families; both men and women were in business and had stands at the markets
-slaves were property of their owners
Greek Economy, Society, and Cultural Life (245-255)
Fruits of Trade: Greek Economy Society
1. Trade and the integration of the Mediterranean Basin
a. Greeks traded olive oil and wine over the Mediterranean Sea for grains SP
b. Greeks traded with people from Egypt, Sicily, Russia, Spain, Macedon and Anatolia SP
-Items traded were timber, tin, grain, fish,and slaves. LU
c. Some cities such as Athens and Corinth relied on Commerce rather than Agriculture SP
d. Panhellenic festivals brought Greek cities and their colonies together SP
-many festivals included athletic, literary, or music contests BS
e. One Panhellenic festival was the Olympic games that started in 776 B.C.E. SP
-Greek communities from all parts of the Mediterranean sent contestants to participate in the events BS
-First games included Foot races, wrestling, boxing, javelin and discus. LU
2. Family and Society
a. Males were the head of families:
-they could make decisions such as abandoning their newborn child (could not kill legally) SP
- They could abandon children on roads or mountains, weather exposure was enough to kill newborns.LU
b. Women stay at home and were under their husband's authority and had to wear veils when in public SP
-women often wore veils BS
c. Except the women of Sparta:
-they were allowed to participate in athletic events and armies
-although males still made decisions SP
d. Most upper class women were literate:
-such as Sappho who was a widow from an aristocratic family who was a poet SP
- She was accused of homosexuality for teaching young women to be literate and to appreciate music.LU
e. Rural families women did domestic duties SP
f. In artisan families women could participate in business SP
g. Slavery was an important part of the Greek's labor force:
-slaves were people in excessive debt or captured enemy soldiers SP
-large number came from whom the Greeks traded BS
-If slaves aquired wealth they could buy their freedom. In one case a slace was able to buy a bank and outfit 5 ships out of his own pocket.LU
h. Skilled slaves were considered more valuable
- some owners gave their skilled slave a shop to make profits and allow them to keep a portion of the money SP
The Cultural Life of Classical Greece
1. Rational Thought and Philosophy
a. Socrates was an Athenian pivotal figure in the development of Philosophy SP
b. Socrates implies that humans had an abligation to strive for personal integrity, behave honorably toward others and work toward the construction of a just society SP
c. Socrates was condemned to death by a jury of Athenian citizens who believed he passed the bounds of propriety SP
d. One of Socrates disciples was Plato who elaborated a systematic philosophy in great subtlety SP
e. Plato's disciple was Aristotle SP
f. Plato had a theory of Forms or Ideas SP
g. Plato developed his belief that the world in which we live in was not the only world, was not the only world of genuine reality, but only an imperfect reflection of the world of Forms and Ideas. MW
h. Only by entering the world of forms and Ideas was it possible to understand the true nature of virtue MW
i. Platos thoughts had important political and social implications in his dialogue "The Republic" MW
j. Plato thought that philosophers were in the best position to understand reality, and hence to design policies in accordance with the Form or Idea MW
k. After the generation of plato Aristotle also made a philosophy that was similar to Platos work in its long term influence. MW
l. He began to distrust the theory of forms and Ideas because artificial intellectual contrusts unnecessary for understanding the world. MW
m. Aristotle believed that philosophers could rely on their senses to provide accurate information about the world and then depend on reason to sort out its mysteries. MW
n. Aristotle wrote on biology, physics, astronomy, psychology, politics, ethics, and literature
o. Medieval Europe called him "Masters of those who knew" MW
p. Greece became the standard for educational understanding and philosophy. LU
2. Popular Religion and Greeks Drama
a. Because of lack of education the greeks turned to traditions of popular culture and popular religion that shed light on human nature and offered guidance for human nature MW
b. The greeks attributed the elements to have super natural elements so there would be for sun, wind, water, etc. MW
c. The greeks made up stories that of these god like elements and how the god like elements put the earth in its present state. MW
d. In the beginning they believed there was the formless void of chaos out of which emerged the earth, the mother and creator of all things. MW
e. struggles between the deities led to heavenly battles, where Zeus was became ruler of the sky BS
f. Under Zeus he had other gods doing jobs under him BS
g. Greek myths wanted to explain the reason of the world like many others BS
k. Greek myths were the foundations for religious cults BS
-some cults admitted only women BS
-cults provided opportunity for them to play roles in society BS
l.cult of demeter (goddess of grain) BS
-occurred in October and November before planting of grain and women would take part in a celebratory feast BS
m. Cult of Dionysus (God of wine) BS
- in spring devotees retreated to the hills to celebrate Dionysus with song and dance BS
n. Tragic drama BS
- Dionysus's cult would put on plays celebration BS
-only few of these plays survive BS
-shows that Greeks engaged audiences on the reflection of complicated themes BS
-three popular ones known: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides BS
3. Hellenistic Philosophy and Religion
a. as Hellenistic empires took over, people leaned more to Hellenistic philosophers (religions based on the good of an individual in a large world) VK
b. Hellenistic philosophers include Epicureans, skeptics and stolics.LU
-Epicureans identified pleasure as the greatest good, a state of quiet satisfaction that would shield them from pressures of the outside world VK
-Skeptics refused to take strong postitions on moral, political, and social issues (left issues to othes and were not involved in disputes) VK
-Skeptics doubted possibility of certain knowledge VK
-Stolics addressed individual needs by searching for personal tranquility and serenity. They considered everyone a part of the univeral family.LU
-Stolics were the most respected and influential of the Hellenistic philosophers VK
c. Religions of Salvation
-addressed interests of individuals looking for security in the world VK
-mystery religions promised eternal bliss for people who lived in accordance with their doctrine VK
-Egyptian cult of Osiris became popular because it promised salvation for people who led honorable lives VK
-mystery religons involved worship of a savior whose death and resurrection would lead way to eternal salvation for its followers VK
-some philosophers believed that a single, universal god ruled the entire universe and had a plan for humankind VK
Time Line- LU
2200-1100 BCE Minoan society
1600-1100 BCE Mycenaen society
800-339 BCE Era of the classical Greek polis
around 600 BCE Life of Sappho
500-479BCE Persian wars
490 BCE Darius invasion of Greece
490 BCE Battle of Marathon
480 BCE Xerxes invasion of Greece
480 BCE Battle of Salamis
479 BCE Battle of Plataea
470-399 BCE Life of Socrates
223-429 BCE Pericles leadership in Athens
431-404 BCE Peloponnesian war
430-347 BCE Life of Plato
384-322 BCE Life of Aristotle
359-336 BCE Reign of Philip II of Macedon
336-323 BCE Reign of Alexander of Macedon
YELLOW BOX
- After Socrates had been convicted and condemned to death, he reflected about death and his commitment to virtue rather than wealth or fame.EN
- Death is one of two things: you cease to be without any sensation, or the migration of the soul to another place.EN
- If death is the total absence of all sensation, then it is a wonderful gain as eternity would be nothing more than a single night.EN
- If death is a journey to another place, there would be no good greater than that. EN
- It would be infinite happiness to converse with, examine, and live with the judges. You would also be happier as you are immortal. EN
- No evil could happen to a good man, either in life or after death.EN
- Hardly angry with his accusers because they were releasing him from trouble, even though they condemned him with the mindset that they would do him injury.EN
- Only God knows whether life or death is better. EN
- Wants his sons to be punished if they seem to care for anything but virtue for not caring for what they should be caring for and for thinking they are great when they are actually worthless.EN
5 Themes- VK
1. Interaction between humans and environment-mountainous terrain and rocky soil only allowed for small harvests of grain
-constructed roads
-traveled by water
-had merchants ships capable of carrying 400 tons and sometimes 1,000 tons
-Greeks had many colonies along shorelines
2. Developement and interaction of cultures
-learned astonomy, science, math, medicine, magic, and divinaton from Babylonians and Egyptians
-adopted Phoenician alphabet- added symbols for vowels
-system of philosophy based on human reason
-Socrates; pivotal figure in developement of philosophy
-Plato; Socrates disciple- Forms or Ideas
-Aristotle; Plato's disciple- did not believe in Forms or Ideas but believed senses could provide info about the world
-Greek Gods and myths
-Myths helped to explain the world and were foundations for religious cults (Eleusinian mysteries, Demeter, Dionysus)
-from the cult of Dionysus emergered Greek dramatic literature (plays)
-Hellenistic philosophers; Epicureans(identified pleasure as greatest good), Skeptics(did not take strong positions on political, moral, or social issues), and Stoics(considered all human beings members of a single, universal family)
3. State-building, expansion and conflict
-Greeks did not build a central government
-Alexander governed many empires
- Hellenistic empires seized the political initaitve and took it from the poleis- with this Greek philosophy and religion started to dwindle
4. Creation, expansion and interaction of economic systems
-traded mostly over seas
-traded gems, jewelry, perfume, and aromatic oils by horse or donkey
-traded olive oil and wine throughout Mediterranean for supplies of grain, salted fish, timber, pitch, tin, and slaves
-trade helped shape the economy; helped establish businesses and partnerships between shipowners, merchants, and money lenders
-trade linked Greek cities with Greek colonies to from a larger Greek community
-slaves did most of the labor in communities
-strong unskilled slaves did heavy labor, weaker unskilled slaves were domestic servants or caretakers, and skilled slaves often had shops that belonged to their owners and were allowed to keep some of the profit
5. Developement and transformation of social cultures
-establishment of poleis helped nature of families and society come into a clearer focus
-strict patriarchal family structures; males were head of the household, women were under the authority of fathers, husbands, or sons, upper-class women spend most of the time in family homes and wore veils when going outside, women could not own land but could operate small businesses(could be a priestess of a religious cult)
- Sparta women could participate in athletic contests and be in public alone
-literacy was common among upper-class women
-rural areas; men did outside work and women did domestic chores and wove textiles
-artisan families; both men and women were in business and had stands at the markets
-slaves were property of their owners